The invention relates to a wedge sluice valve with a wedge-shaped gate member which is movable by means of a valve rod and which can be pressed closed agaist the ends of two tubular conduit sections.
Wedge valves of this general type, for tubular conduits, are known. They enable the flow to pass through without undergoing a change in direction, so that when the valve is wide open there is no increased resistance to fluid flow. However, known valves of this type have the disadvantage of causing relatively high wear on the sealing surfaces of the gate member, due to sliding friction between the surfaces of the gate member and sealing surfaces during the opening and closing of said gate. Further, the known wedge-shaped gate members require high operating forces for moving and pressing shut the gate member, requiring correspondingly expensive drive systems. The wedge angle between the sealing surfaces of such known gate members is small, e.g. about 6.degree., in order to avoid having too high a resultant force being exerted on the gate member in the retraction direction by the action of the pressure of the fluid medium. Accordingly, when the valve is being opened the sealing surfaces on the low pressure side rub together under the force exerted by the said pressure of the medium, which leads to excessive wear and very high repair costs.